If I Could Change The World
by da-mouse
Summary: He was about to lose her, and everything else...to save him, and the others, she must make the sacrifice... -YohxAnnaxHao- [Chapter 4 - The Prelude]
1. Prologue: Nightscape

**Disclaimer**: Shaman King does not belong to me, and will never belong to me. What a shame. Sue me for the hole in my pocket. It's bigger now. And oh...there's another hole! ^-^

**Note:** My first story, to be written in chapters. Now, it might be fair to warn you guys that I've practically _never_ try to write anything chaptered. only one-shots. o_o So if this sucks, feel free to blast me! Of course, constructively. 

And Yoh, Anna and Hao were much older in this fic. Say...19? Yup, 19. Nice age, mature but not too old. As in, they were still teenagers! Yay! ^-^ Perceive Yoh and Anna to be much more affectionate towards each other at this age. If not, you will be ripping my head off for writing them in such an OOC way. 

If I Could Change The World  
written by: da*mouse

Prologue: Nightscape  
  
__

_He was running. _

_It was dark, damp and foggy. He could barely see where he was going. But still he kept running. He knew that he had to. Keep going. Just keep going._

_Something was wrong. Terribly wrong._

_It became darker still. Even his own fingers were lost to him. All that remained with him was the ragged sound of his own breathing. He was reminded of his training in the dark cave, all those years ago. He remembered then it was important to keep his sanity._

_And he must do the same, right now. He must find her._

_He didn't know how long had he been going on, when suddenly, the darkness vanished, illuminated by light. He blinked at the sudden change, shielding his eyes. _

_Then he saw her. Standing at a far end. Relief washed over him as he advanced towards her._

_But she held up a hand. "Don't come any closer."_

_He stopped. Confused. Then she turned away from him and began walking. _

_He took a step forward._

_She whipped back, her eyes blazing. "I said. Don't. Come. Any. Closer."_

_He shook his head. "An..."_

_"Don't!" she screamed. _

_Behind her, something rose. Something bright, pink and huge. The Spirit of the Fire, he immediately recognised. And laughter was heard. Evil laughter, tinged with triumph. Familiar laughter, mocking and condescending. _

_He could feel his anger rising. He knew who was it. He knew...but she...? He averted his gaze to her. And he couldn't believe what he saw. _

_She was walking towards him, the other him, and a huge wall of fire. Panic and horror enveloped him._

_"No! What are you doing?!" He yelled, beginning to run towards her. But the figure on the fire spirit held up a hand, and he was knocked backwards. Still, she continued her descend into the fire. _

_"Little brother. You've lost. You've lost her!" The hated voice began speaking. As he watched helplessly, she was consumed by flames, engulfed in them. _

_"No! Noooooooooo! Anna! ANNA..........!!!!" _

-

"Yoh! Yoh, wake up!" He could feel someone shaking him, hard. "Yoh!" 

He opened his eyes, and saw the familiar face, blonde bangs obscuring dark eyes. His fiancée looked at him, a worried and perplexed expression on her face. 

_Anna._ He was overwhelmed by relief, and immediately sat up, pulling her into his arms. "Anna..."

She was surprised by his sudden embrace. Her arms went around him, patting him reassuringly on his back. "It's all right. It's just a dream."

_But it was so real...so real...I was losing you. I've lost you. To him..._

"I know. But it was..."

"Scary? Real?" She finished for him. He nodded. She raised an eyebrow. "I'd say. You were yelling loud enough to wake the dead. But dreams aren't real, no matter how scary they are. You're awake now. Everything's fine."

"I know." He now felt a little like a child, having to hear all those words from Anna. 

"Go back to sleep. I need to sleep as well." She released her arms around him, and stood up, preparing to leave, and go back to her own room. But his hand caught hers, and pulled her back to him. 

"No. Don't leave." _I can't let you leave right now. I know I am acting like a child, I know it is very unlike me, but I need to have you with me, so that I know you are safe. So that I am able to sleep. Or else…_he thought of Anna disappearing into the fire. The scenario, his helplessness, still troubled him. _There's absolutely no way I can sleep tonight. _

Her first instinct was to berate him for acting like a child, and to have him sleeping by himself to get over his silly fear. She wasn't about to give in to him, she rarely did. But then, she had a good look at him. 

His dark eyes, partly covered by his dark bangs, were pleading, and haunted. Fear and apprehension still lurked in the depths of his eyes. She had never seen him looked so afraid before.

"Stay with me, please, Anna. Please? Sleep with me tonight...?"

No matter how fake dreams may be, his nightmare had scared him incessantly. Anna softened. Maybe it wouldn't hurt, just this once. 

"Yes."

-

Unseen, a dark figure observed the couple.

Yoh laid back onto his tatami mat, and Anna laid down beside him. His arm immediately went around her waist, holding her. _Never letting her go..._he watched, his eyes dark. 

The corner of lips lifted in a sardonic smile. "No matter how hard you try to hold on, you will lose her. And everything else. You'll regret the moment you had the thought to try and stop me. "

"Enjoy your life, and your pretty fiancée, while you still can. Dreams are not real? You're going to find out, just how wrong you can be..."

"I'll make sure of that. Oh, I will. Rest assured I will, little brother..." Asakura Hao lifted his head, and laughed. 

  
-To be continued-

*

da*mouse ®  
posted 8th June, 2003  
10.42 a.m.

Now it's psychology that is driving me nuts. Blah blah blah blah.

Urm, yeah, the OOC-ness...ok, so Anna probably wouldn't hugged Yoh, but just slapped him and told him to grow up. HOW CAN ANYONE BE THAT HEARTLESS!?!? I don't care...I'd say she would've hugged him. So she did! Wahahaha! 

Maybe psychology is really driving me psycho. 

Anyway, do comment/flame/review/whatever, and tell me whether should I continue. Yeah, the works.

And tell me what can I do to keep the characters more in character. 

*MODIFICATION 09/06/2003 – Anna being gentle is maybe toooooo OOC. So no, now she didn't brush back his hair, in such a gentle gesture. Maybe later, folks. ^-^ And I added a little in-depth to Yoh's fear. Okay, so it was a sentence, but still….! 

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	2. Chapter 1: The Presence

**Disclaimer**: Shaman King does not belong to me, and will never belong to me. As much as I would like to own them, it's a sad case I don't. So don't sue me. Please? 

**Note: **You know, I was doing some rethinking, and decided to change the ages I originally planned. I decided to de-aged them: to seventeen years old. Don't ask me why, I just thought some things will be more easily explained, I guess.   
Hey, I have a weird mind, I never deny it.   
So: Yoh/Anna/Hao = 17 years old. Got that? Cool. *grins*  
  
  


If I Could Change The World  
written by: da*mouse

Chapter 1: The Presence  
  
__

The bright sunlight streamed in from the windows, shining upon the lone figure sleeping on the floor. A cock crowed, somewhere in the distance, the sound scratchy and far off. A sleepy Yoh yawned widely and sat up, the blanket slipping off his torso. He rubbed his eyes, as his mind started to register with the day. A glance at the alarm clock beside him told him that it was eight o'clock. 

As soon as he could begin to think clearly, the sleepiness diminishing from his brain, the first thing he thought of, as it had been the past month, was her. _Anna_, he thought, immediately turning around to the spot beside him. She was not there, of course. She was probably still in her room, sleeping. 

The night had been uneventful, fairly peaceful, he supposed. He didn't remember his dreams for last night, that must be a good sign. If it had occurred...he would surely remember. Thinking of _that_ nightmare, Yoh's face darkened. Even after a month, he could still remember that horrible feeling of helplessness, anger...and loss. And the sense of uneasiness that always tugged at his senses, no matter how hard he tried to suppress it. 

He shook his head, trying to diminish the thoughts. 

Standing up, and raising his arms over his head, he stretched, emitting a groan as all his muscles set into place. Grabbing his headphones, he hung them around his neck. Contemplating for a moment, he decided to forgo his shirt, and he pushed open the sliding door, walking down the stairs. 

Opening the front doors, he stepped out onto the doorstep, inhaling a mouthful of fresh morning air. He cast his eyes towards the skies. The skies were a bright blue, the clouds fluffy. The sun was hot, and it was almost breezeless. The weather was beautiful. But yet... 

There was no life. An eerie silence hung in the air. Yoh frowned. 

There were no birds chirping, calling out to each other as they usually did. The trees were still. No peddlers cycled past his house; at this hour, there should be quite a few of them, calling out their wares for breakfast. Everything was quiet. Strangely quiet. 

Yoh's frown darkened considerably, as he tensed. Sharp instincts came from being a shaman, but for a shaman as strong as Yoh, he was exceptionally alert. 

Something didn't seem right. Something was wrong. He could sense it. The feeling on impending danger descended over him, for some reason. 

Then, one single thought entered his mind. 

The thought hit him with such force, he felt like he had been punched. And he immediately knew. His nightmare, the apprehension he had carried with him since then...it was imminent. He gripped the doorframe, his eyes intensely sweeping over the sight before him. He knew why everything seemed so out of place. He knew what was wrong. He knew...he clenched his fist. He could sense the presence, faint, drifting, but taunting. 

_Didn't I tell you? You can't get rid of me..._

He didn't expect this. To say it was too soon, it wasn't. But he hadn't expected it. _He's back. I can feel him. _Anger began bubbling in him. _What does he want from me? What...?_

"Yoh?" 

He jumped at the sound. Turning, he saw Anna standing behind him, still in her bathrobe. She raised an eyebrow at the strange expression on his face. "What's wrong?" 

He knew that his expression had betrayed him. But still, he mustered up his usual cheerful smile, in a half-disguised attempt to hide his feelings. "Nothing. You scared me, that's all." No sense in telling her. No reason to want her to worry. No grounds for letting her know. 

Anna remained quiet, scrutinizing him, her eyes wiser than her years. He shifted uncomfortably. He knew that Anna could see right through him. 

But still, he didn't want to tell her. He was barely struggling to understand it himself. 

She nodded, then. "Get breakfast ready. I am hungry." 

"Yes, Anna." He walked back into the house, but not before taking another glance at the surroundings outside of him. The morning was still too silent, too devoid of life. The silence was ominous, almost threatening. 

For once, he desperately hoped for his instincts to fail him. 

- 

Hidden out of sight, a dark figure watched as Yoh went back into the house, following Anna. 

A smile of amusement twisted his lips. 

"Very perceptive, little brother. You have grown stronger, more alert, more insightful." 

"Ah...it will be a pleasure to see you again." 

"I look forward to it...but first..." He regarded the scene below. "...you have something I really want." 

"And I am going to take it from you." Malice tinted his amused smile. "I'm going to enjoy this, really I am, little brother." 

- 

She watched as Yoh carefully cracked the eggs into the saucepan. The eggs sizzled, sending out an aromatic smell. He picked up some soy sauce to season the eggs, but his attention was not on his cooking. His mouth set in a grim line, his thoughts were drifting, and Anna noted the slight tremble of his hand as he picked up the spatula, to turn the eggs. 

A loud clatter signified his dropping of the spatula. She could hear a soft curse under his breath as he reached down and retrieved the spatula. 

_Yoh...curse over a dropped spatula? Hardly like the Yoh I know...what exactly is on your mind? _

He was tense. She could see from the ways his broad shoulders were hunched. 

Something was bothering to him, to a great extent, Anna observed through half-lowered lids. His smile could not disguise what he was really feeling. It was a forced smile. She could read him like an open book. 

And...Anna cast her eyes outside the window, where the sun burned brightly in the cloudless sky. She was no fool; she, too, saw the strangeness of the too perfectly still morning. 

She could see what was wrong, too, with the picture of the morning. No life, no sounds, nothing. They could have been living in library in North Pole, not Tokyo, with that kind of silence surrounding them. 

Her hand hidden under the table, Anna creased her black dress, her mouth set in a straight line. The atmosphere was heavy, tense. She, like him, could sense the disturbing presence. 

Itakos, generally, were perceived to be less perceptive than shamans, but her itako abilities went way beyond the talent of the other itakos. Anna was more alert, more intelligent. She was trained to be that way, since very young. Asakura Kino Itako was the hardest on her, because she was claimed to be her best disciple. 

Anna never failed to live up to what was expected of her. Either she was what she was expected to be, or more. Never less. 

Neither of them made a sound, Yoh lost in his thoughts, and Anna in hers. Both were preoccupied. 

Anna tapped her fingers on the table, her eyes intense. Like Yoh, she knew something was terribly wrong. She had a feeling that he could sense far more than she had, but he wasn't telling her. And that was what worried her. Yoh rarely hide anything from her. He would often speak out on what was bothering him, on his own free will. 

She never forced him to say anything he didn't want to say, and it wasn't any different now. 

_How much do you sense? Why won't you tell me?_

Thoughts were running around Anna's head, trying to comprehend with each other. A sense of foreboding filled her. She hated the feeling of not knowing, not being able to do anything. She wanted to do something, had to. Anything. 

Yoh's voice interrupted her train of thought. "Breakfast is ready, Anna." He set down the bowl in front of her. Anna looked down at the food, fried egg with teriyaki chicken on rice. 

One of her favorites. She raised her eyes to his. He was grinning at her, but she noted the tension around the corners of his mouth. 

She decided not to comment on that. 

Picking up her chopsticks, she took a piece of chicken. As she raised it to her mouth, she noted that he wasn't eating. All that was in front of Yoh was a cup of steaming _o-cha_. 

"You're not eating." It was a statement, not a question. 

"Ah...no. I...am not hungry." 

She nodded, and continued with her food. 

The sun continued to shine brightly. The morning drifted into an equally lifeless afternoon. 

- 

It was late evening when Anna tapped on Yoh's bedroom door, red bandanna in hand. He was sitting at the window, looking outwards, his headphones around his neck, and his eyes narrowed. 

At the sound of her knock, he jumped, and turned around. She saw that he was still highly tensed, his expression troubled. 

"I'm going to bed." She announced. 

His forehead wrinkled. "This early?" 

"I'm tired." She said simply. Behind her back, her hand hidden from his point of view, she clutched her bandanna tightly. "I want to rest. Please see to the dishes in the kitchen; they are still unwashed in the sink." 

He nodded, seemingly preoccupied. She stood there silently, looking at him. He raised his eyes to her face, and a mixture of emotions flickered past his face. Standing up, he crossed the room in a few strides, and pulled her against him. 

A small gasp of surprise escaped her. Throughout the years, they had assumed a quiet affection for each other, but had rarely been physically affectionate. She knew that he cared for her, and she did, too, for him. For her, that had always been enough. Physical affection never really mattered much. Not to her, at least.

But ever since the night Yoh had his nightmare, he had been more openly affectionate, more concerned about her than ever. Now she wondered again what was it that scared him so. He never told, she never asked.

_Was it something about me?_

She let him hold her, although she made no move to put her own arms around him. _Yoh, what is it? Why can't you tell me, point blank, what is wrong? What do you feel?_

"Anna..." He whispered, stroking her hair softly. "I..." His words drifted. He didn't know what to say. All he knew was that he wanted to hold her, to be near her. 

She sighed, and rested her head against his chest, giving in to his hug, her arms going around his waist. Time seemed to stand still as the young couple stood in Yoh's room, holding each other. 

_If only I could freeze time...freeze this moment..._

_I will want to remember, forever, how this feels..._

She loosened her arms around him. "I'm tired." 

He touched her face, briefly. And nodded. 

"Goodnight, Yoh." 

She stepped out of his room, and slid the door shut soundlessly. Descending down the stairs quietly, she tied the bandanna around her hair. She pushed open the front door, and silently exited the house, walking out to the night. 

_I didn't want to lie to you. _

_I only want to protect you. _

- 

In his room, Yoh cast his eyes towards the night. The full moon shone brightly. Like the morning, the night was silent as well. The usual sounds of crickets and frogs were not heard. Not heard at all. 

He could feel a shudder racking through his body, and he touched the haru-same propped beside him. 

As if sensing his worry, Amidamaru materialised beside him. 

"Yoh-dono?" 

"Amidamaru. I can feel him. He's back. And he wants something. From me." 

"..." 

Amidamaru floated around Yoh, wishing that he could say something comforting. "When time comes, Yoh-dono, you will have to face him. And I will face him with you." 

Yoh smiled gratefully at Amidamaru. "_Sankyu_, Amidamaru." He looked out yet again. The moon seemed to taunt him, the only light in the darkness. 

"I am afraid, not for me...but..." Yoh's voice lapsed into silence. 

_Anna..._

_Above all things, I must keep her safe. I must..._

- 

Anna walked on resolutely, her eyes keeping straight ahead. Around her, the darkness swirled. There were no sounds in the night, not even the sounds of the night breeze. 

All around her, it was deathly silent. Still she walked on. 

It took all of her strength and talent to find out one crucial thing about the strange happenings, and she wasn't about to let the link go. Not when she had something to go on. She was going to find out what exactly was going on, and put an end to it. 

As she walked past a tall tree, something tugged at her senses. The spirits around her whispered a warning. She stopped. Calmly, and without looking, she said clearly. "You can come out. There is no sense in hiding, I know you are there." 

An amused chuckle was heard, and the person behind the tree revealed himself. "Kyouyama Anna. It had been a while." 

She turned, and looked at the young man with long, dark hair, and a face exactly like Yoh's, but lack his compassion and custom cheerfulness. Only mockery and sarcasm was seen on this face. His eyes glinted as he regarded her. 

Anna's right hand clenched into a tight fist. She was surprised, and shocked, but she kept her face expressionless. _So it was you, Asakura Hao. _

_Why have you come back? For Yoh? What do you want from him?_

_I'll never let you get to him. Never._

"Asakura Hao." She said coldly, with a note of venom, her gaze icy and piercing. "What do you want now?" 

Hao smiled. "What do I want? Direct, as usual, Anna." 

"Don't even say my name." Her voice dripped with anger and scorn. 

_Fiery spirit. How intriguing. _Hao sighed. "Ahhhh...what do I want? The answer's simple." 

He looked directly at her. 

"You."   
  
  
-To be continued-

*

da*mouse ®  
posted 15th June 2003

Urm…hey. So does this make sense? *wince* Sorry about Yoh's OOC-ness. I know he is _not_ usually that serious, blah blah blah…but Hao is back! Wowwee. :P 

Chaptered stories are _extremely_ difficult to write. So yeah, the chapters are coming out more slowly than I anticipate. But winter holidays are up, so I am hoping I can get hardworking/inspired enough to complete this fic. :P 

I am still suffering from exams as of now [yay! Last paper on Thursday, nyah nyah nyah…] so yeah, this might come out a bit lame. Sorry about that, folks. Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter, and please review/comment/flame/whatever, as long as it's constructive.

  
 


	3. Chapter 2: The Preposition

**Disclaimer**: Shaman King does not belong to me, and will never belong to me. As much as I would like to own them, it's a sad case I don't. So don't sue me. You'll get nothing in return anyway, so why bother? 

For **Satsu'mi: **I know I promised you _your_ Ren, but you just have to wait for the next chapter. Gomen ne!  
For **KiraX105:** Just to bribe you to update _Endless Days._ You get the hint, don't you? *wink*

**Note**: Urm. Read with an open mind? ^-^   
  


If I Could Change The World  
written by: da*mouse

Chapter 2: The Preposition__

In his room, where he had been sitting thoughtfully for the past hour, Yoh suddenly tensed. The thought was brief, fleeting, flashing past his mind, nevertheless it as there, its signal strong.

_Something's wrong._

By instinct, he grabbed his _haru-same_. 

_Anna!_

He raced out of his room, and threw open her door without knocking, his mind too consumed by worry to be rational; the fact that Anna would probably murder him for entering her room without knocking. 

As he had already knew, she was not there. 

His heart in his throat, Yoh ran out of Anna's room, and stumbled down the stairs, only one thought in his mind. 

_Anna!_

He happened to glance out of the window again, at the dark skies and night. The night was still, devoid of life. It ridiculed him. _He is out there. Watching me. Mocking me. She's with him. _

_Hao…_Yoh's fear heightened to anger. Mentally, he yelled to his twin. _Don't hurt her. Don't you dare hurt her! _He ran out of the front door, still gripping the _haru-same_. _I can't let anything happen to Anna. _

"Amidamaru!" he commanded. 

"Yoh-dono!" the spirit immediately appeared beside him. He took a look at Yoh's worried, pale face, and disheveled appearance, and was slightly taken back. He rarely saw his master looking so panicky. Probably because he always believed no matter what, things would turn out all right. When there is a will, there is a way. 

But this time…only one person could work Yoh into this kind of worry. _Anna-san. Something must have happened to her_. Amidamaru thought. Yoh immediately echoed his thoughts. "Anna's gone. We have to find her."

"Yes, Yoh-dono!"

Yoh and Amidamaru burst out of the front door, and out of the gate. Stopping, Yoh tried to get his bearings straight as he looked to the right, to the left, and to the right again. 

_Anna…where are you? _His worry was driving him to the point of despair, where he couldn't think properly. The unease and trepidation of the whole day had begun to take its toll on Yoh. 

Yoh started running towards the right direction, praying that his instinct was right. As he rounded the corner, he stopped running. For approaching him was a petite, lithe figure, with blonde bangs and a red bandanna gripped in one hand. 

Anna walked up to him. 

Yoh felt his heart slowing down its panicky pace. _She's all right. She's safe. _His relief almost overwhelmed him, seeing her safe and sound, and not in the hands of his brother, as he had feared. Dropping his _haru-same_ onto the ground, he reached out for her. 

"Anna, I'm so glad you're…"

His fingers brushed air, as she stepped around him, and kept going, as if she hadn't seen him. 

Yoh stood still, shocked, as she continued walking away from him. 

"Anna…?"

She stopped walking. Stopping, she turned to face him, blonde bangs obscuring part of her face. Her face was expressionless, but it was pale. And he noted the slight tremble of her lower lip. The hand that was holding her bandanna was clenched into a tight fist, the knuckles strained. 

Anna was not her normal calm and collected self. She looked…shaken. Anxiety immediately began crowding in onto Yoh. 

"I'm going home, and I'm going upstairs, to my room. Don't disturb me." Her voice was cold, detached. 

"Anna…" he caught up with her in a few strides, and placed his hand on her shoulder. She immediately shook him off. "Leave me alone, Yoh."

He was hurt by her rejection, but still he wanted to persist. She didn't look all right. Something was wrong, and he wanted to know what was it, what was it that bothered her. "Anna, tell me. What's wrong?" His voice was insistent. 

She had begun walking again, and didn't bother to reply him. He grabbed her arm, and swung her around, gripping her shoulders, so that they were face to face. "What's the matter? I won't leave you alone until you tell me what is the matter!" 

Defiantly, she threw his hands off her shoulders. "I said. Leave. Me. Alone. I mean it." Without looking back, she disappeared through the gate, leaving a despondent Yoh at the corner, still staring after her. 

He didn't understand why she pushed him away, he didn't understand why was she so cold, he didn't understand why she refused to tell him anything, he didn't understand what she was thinking, he didn't understand what was going on.

Questions crowded in his mind. _Why did you leave the house? Why didn't you tell me? What was wrong? What happened? Anna…why are you walking away from me?_

Too stunned, confused and hurt to move from where he was standing, Yoh remained there, even after a long time.  

-

Anna entered her room, and slid the door shut. Once it was closed, she slumped down against it, her head in her hands, a rare picture of anguish. Over and over again, Yoh's pleading voice and upset face flashed past her mind. _Anna…_

She didn't want to hurt him. _I'm sorry, Yoh. I can't tell you. I can never tell you. _

_Hao…_her anger grew, her eyes darkened. Thinking of what he had said, Anna could feel herself almost going into despair. She didn't know what to do. What she should do. What was right. 

She asked him to give her time to decide. 

She had to make a decision. _But how to…? I don't know…_

*Flashback*

_"You want me." She repeated, showing no sign of the surprise she felt. _

_"Yes, to put it plainly, Anna. You." His smile was sardonic. "Just you."_

_Stepping forward, she slapped him squarely across the face. "Don't take me for a fool, Asakura Hao." She said sharply. "If you want to use me to get to Yoh, don't even bother trying."_

_He rubbed his face gingerly. "Anna, Anna, Anna." He chuckled. "Didn't you hear me? I said, I want you. Not Yoh, not anyone else. You."_

_She herself laughed, the sound cynical. "And what makes you think that I will want _you_?"_

_"Oh, you will come with me, Anna. Willingly, I might add."_

_"Save your dreams for the times you're asleep." She said sarcastically. _

_Hao leaned back, still looking amused. "You forgot, Anna, that you have a weakness."_

_"I _do not_ have any weakness!" she fired back immediately, her anger growing. What was he to imply that she had any sort of weakness? She, Kyouyama Anna, had only known strength. And nothing else. _Weakness? Highly unlikely. 

_"Oh, you do. You do. And a very important one, too."_

_"Pray tell, then, what is it?" Her eyes were dangerous. _

_But he was not the least bit intimidated. Raising his hand, a ball of fire appeared. He focused on the ball, and then a face began to appear. A face identical to his own. _

_"Your weakness. Him. My_ dearest_ brother." His sarcastic emphasis on the word was not missed. "That, is what makes you vulnerable. Yoh." Closing his fist, the ball of fire disappeared. "What if, I am to say, that if you will not come with me, he will die?"_

_His words were not surprising. "I'll like to see you try and kill him." Her voice was low, filled with fury. _

_"Trust me, you will _not _like to see me try." He said, his tone indifferent. "Don't think I am as easily defeated as I was, during that time, when I was caught…off guard."_

_Anna folded her arms, her expression icy. "Caught off-guard? The ways you have for covering your defeat. You lost. Admit it."_

_Hao's face darkened considerably at her words, and he clenched his jaw. "Four long years have done me a lot of good. All of you thought Yoh defeated me, and I was gone, forever."_

_He laughed. "Yoh…defeating me? For all eternity? Not a chance. Of course, he knew that. He always knew that I was alive. But…" he cast his gaze towards Anna. "…I've lost interest in my wimpy twin brother. I'm more interested in his fiancée."_

_She refused to say anything, her furious eyes still trained on him. _

_"I want you, Anna. For what, that is not important for you to know. But I just want you, and I shall tell you, you will come to me. If not, Yoh will die. Not just him."_

_He leveled his gaze with hers. "All of them." With a sweep of his hand, a ring of fire appeared, and all the faces she knew surrounded them, in the fire. Tao Ren, Ryu, Faust, Manta. All of Yoh's friends, and as time had gone by, her friends. The few people, besides Yoh, who had shown her care and warmth. People that she had came to appreciate. _

_Anna could felt the first hint of panic entering her as the faces whirled past, all of them gradually vanishing, swallowed by the fire. Steeling herself, she banished the feeling. _

_She turned away from him. "I will never go with you. Never."_

_"Even at the cost of Yoh's death?"_

_"I trust him to defeat you. He did it once, he will do it again!" She fired at Hao. _

_"Ahhh…are you as confident as you felt? Your tone betrays uncertainty, Anna." He yawned. "Oh well, if you want to take the risk…I shouldn't stop you. After all, when Yoh is dead…"_

_He locked his eyes with hers. "…you will come to me." He straightened himself. "As you wish, Anna. I shall enjoy seeing my dear brother again. And all his friends."_

_He snapped his fingers, and the Spirit of Fire appeared. Twice as huge. Anna heard a small gasp escaped her lips. "Goodbye, Anna. I trust that we will meet again. At Yoh's funeral, maybe?" He laughed. His Spirit of Fire lifted its ugly head, and huge flames shot up, lighting up the skies, igniting trees. _

No! _Anna screamed mentally. _No, this couldn't be happening. _The extent of Hao's powers…Yoh…for the first time, she doubted. _

_She didn't want to…never wanted to…_

The only way to protect him…I have to protect him…Yoh…__

_"Wait!" _

_He turned. His expression knowing, mocking. _

*End of Flashback*

Anna was no fool. Even though she went with Hao, she knew that there was no guarantee that Yoh, and the others would be unharmed. She wouldn't trust Hao any further than she could throw him. 

Evil, devoid of feelings, she knew Asakura Hao was capable of anything. _Anything at all…_

But what could she do? If she refused to yield, Hao would come for Yoh, to destroy him. Much as she trusted Yoh, she saw the extent of Hao's powers. She had her faith in Yoh, but could not let truth be blinded by her trust. Yoh, as of now, was no match for the revived Hao. 

He could die. _Yoh could die…_

_Your weakness. Him. Yoh._

Was he right? 

She could never let anything happen to him, anything at all. 

Standing up, Anna walked to her dresser, and picked up a framed photo of her and Yoh, one of the few they ever took together. Yoh had his arm around her, grinning widely, but her expression was grumpy. She hated taking photos. She kept the photo because Yoh looked so carefree, so happy. 

_Yoh…_

She couldn't confide in him. She couldn't ask him what to do. 

Because she knew. Yoh would never let her go. He would rather sacrifice himself, then to let her go with Hao. She could never let him know. Just as she would rather sacrifice herself than to let him go to Hao, for her sake.

And Hao…he would never let Yoh go. She knew that much, Hao bore a deep resentment for her fiancé. The plain fact that Hao was back already shook her. But to give her that kind of preposition…

She didn't believe Hao's lie, that he wouldn't hurt Yoh if Anna were to leave with him. But if she went with Hao…at least she could…protect Yoh. She was able to monitor Hao's every move, and prevent him from harming Yoh. She still didn't know what Hao want with her, but…the very least she could do. Stop Hao from nearing Yoh. Keeping him safe for as long as she could. 

And she knew what she had to do. 

_If sacrificing myself, if I go with him…Yoh, and the others, will at least be safe, for as long as I can keep them safe. _

_At least…I have that. At least…Yoh will be safe. _

_As long as I can keep you safe, and protect you, I have to do it. I will do it. No matter what it takes. _

_Because…I…_

She hugged the photo to her. 

_I…Yoh…_

For the first time in years, Kyouyama Anna felt a hot tear on her cheek. 

-

"Hao-sama?" 

A sigh. "Leave me alone, Mari."

Mari clutched her doll tighter. "Hao-sama, you seemed disturbed."

"Not that it concerns you. I ask you to leave me." His tone carried a dangerous note of annoyance.

"Yes, Hao-sama." Mari disappeared immediately. 

Hao faced out to the dark skies. 

_Anna…do I have you, at long last?_

He smiled. She was no idiot. She didn't believe him when he said that if she came with him, he wouldn't harm Yoh. 

_Smart, very smart. And insightful. Just what I need. Just what I want. _

But still she hesitated, even when she knew that he could be lying, was lying. She hesitated because of his brother. And even if she left with him, it would still be because of Yoh. She fully understood that he would kill Yoh, with no vacillation. 

_But I will change that. All of that. _

_Yoh…_anger built up. 

Day after day, he watched his brother and Anna. Watched them carefully as they went on with their daily lives. Watched Yoh smiling whenever he was with Anna. Watched Anna's eyes softened whenever she looked at Yoh. And he understood fully, their love towards each other, even if they themselves didn't sense it, or feel it. Their fierce protectiveness for each other. 

Anna would protect Yoh at all costs, and Yoh would undoubtedly give his life for Anna's. 

_Such devotion…_Hao sighed. He intended fully to make use of that. Their affection for each other was their weakness. 

Hao's eyes darkened. His hatred grew whenever he looked at Yoh, living a life that he didn't have the right to live. _You took everything away from me, little brother. You shouldn't have been born. You shouldn't even exist. Everything you have…should belonged to me. And I'm taking it back, all of it._

_Starting with your fiancée. _

He intended to destroy Yoh, crush him, and his spirit. And he was starting with where he knew would hurt most. 

Anna. 

_This is just the beginning. _Hao smirked, and stretched. 

_But of course, little brother, you know that. You definitely do. _

_  
_  
  
-To be continued-

*

da*mouse ®  
posted 25th June 2003

You know, please do tell me if my reasoning of the whole plot sucks big time/doesn't make sense/just plain horrible and OOC. *stuckaroo* Maybe I am not cut out for writing chaptered fics, maybe I should just stick my crappy one-shots. Sigh…

You know the drill, review/flame/comment/whatever. I really need the readers input for this fic, as I really do have zero confidence in making this a good/completed/good and completed fic. The reviews kept me going, so yeah. Anyway, I think I am _really_ kinda stuck at this point. To continue or not to continue?

And I got too bored, so I made a poster to go with my fanfic. That just shows how _unnecessary_ I am, or if anyone understands Mandarin, wo hao wu liao!! *sigh* anyway, you can have a view at my crappy [computer]art-work here at /mouseinuni/change.jpg (there's a "www" + "boomspeed" + "com" in front…I hate ff.net for disabling the link HTML code…)  
And yeah, I **do** plan to come up with something better. See when the inspiration hits. Heh. __


	4. Chapter 3: The Parting

**Disclaimer**: Shaman King does not belong to me, and will never belong to me. As much as I would like to own them, it's a sad case I don't. So don't sue me. You'll get nothing in return anyway, so why bother?   
  
**For Kira**, thanks for writing such a wonderful fic, _Frozen Ray_, which warms my heart all the way in the cold Melbourne winter.   
**For KageNoTenshi**, for dedicating her wonderful new fic, _The One The Two_, to me. This one's for you. 

**Warning:** Sappy [extremely] and Yoh-Anna OOC warning.   
  


If I Could Change The World  
written by: da*mouse

Chapter 3: The Parting__

_So this is how it ends… ___

Anna pressed her hand against the sliding door, and turned back to look at her little room, for one last glance. Her tatami mat was bundled up neatly, all blankets folded. All her belongings were packed away in the closet…belongings she had no need for. Not anymore.

All she needed was packed in a small bundle by her feet. 

She turned away, her features set in a stanch expression.  She reached behind her and tugged her bandanna from her neck, arranging it around her blonde hair. Midway, she paused…remembering…

*Flashback*

_She tugged impatiently at her bandanna. Somehow, the piece of red cloth refused to untangle itself from her neck, and the wind was blowing rather strongly. Her blonde bangs tumbled over her eyes, irritating her with its constant dancing, courtesy of the wind. ___

_"Here, let me help you." ___

_Her hands dropped to her side as Yoh stood behind her, untangling her bandanna. Carefully, he untied the stubborn knot, and then, with a swift moment, slipped it over her head, securing it with a butterfly bow. His hands rest against the sides of her head for a few moments longer than necessary, smoothing the bandanna. ___

_His touch light, and tender, and she felt her face growing warm. ___

_"There." He smiled cheerfully. "Now, come on. We have to hurry home, the clouds doesn't look like as if they will last much longer."___

_She nodded, noting the dark clouds hovering above them ominously. ___

_He then grabbed her hand, taking her by surprise. ___

_But she didn't object.___

_Instead, she returned the pressure onto his hand, as the two of them hurried home, hoping to beat the rain. ___

*End of Flashback*__

Anna's throat tightened. Remembering the warmth she felt as he helped her with her bandanna, and the feeling of her small hand in his larger one, calloused from all his training and work.  

_I can't think of that, of him. Not now…I can't. ___

_Not anymore…I can't.___

Resolutely, Anna finished fastening her bandanna, and picked up the small bundle by her feet. She stepped out of her room, and with a firm hand, slid the door shut. 

-

Yoh was in the kitchen, fixing himself a cup of hot _o-cha_. As it had been for the past week, he felt himself tense, and edgy. He was holding the kettle with one hand, and tapping the countertop with his other hand. Suddenly, his hand slipped, and the hot water poured over his left hand. 

Cursing, he dropped the kettle, and immediately ran his hand under the cold tap water. 

He closed his eyes, knowing that his nerves were on the edge. Tensed. 

He didn't understand it.

Hao was back. He knew it, and he was sure of it. He could sense his twin brother's aura, strong and pulsating. He had gone to the woods, where he knew Hao was hiding. 

_You've come for me, hadn't you? I'm here now, so why won't you come out and meet me? Fight me, take me, or even kill me, if that is what you want?___

But Hao refused to come out when he called.

That had left Yoh feeling angry, and afraid. Not for himself, but for all the people around him…his friends. Ren, Manta, HoroHoro…

Especially…Anna.

Did Hao plan to strike against them? 

He could only prayed and hoped that it wasn't so. 

Turning off the tap, he straightened the kettle, when out of the corner of his eye, a color of red flashed past. 

_Anna…_

His grip on the handle of the kettle tightened considerably, as he remembered the troubled, but cold expression on his fiancée's face. He had decided that it was best she left alone, and didn't disturb her when he finally returned to the house. 

Then he heard a creak, and a slight banging sound. 

The front door. He frowned. It was dark, what was Anna doing, going out at this hour? _And in this situation whereby…_

Leaving the kettle where it was, Yoh exited the kitchen, and threw the front door open, to reveal Anna hurrying out of the gates, a small bundle over her shoulder. 

Without any hesitation, he raced out.

-

It had begun to rain, drizzling lightly. She didn't have an umbrella with her. But it was all right. She would do without. 

"Anna!"

_He heard me…he heard me walking out. _

"Anna!"

She desperately wanted to keep going, and pretended not to hear him. She didn't want to face him, not at all. But she knew it was not possible. At the very least, she must ensure…

That he would not go after her, and not fall into Hao's clutches. Ensure that Yoh would never approach Hao. Ensure that Hao would have the most minimal chances of ever harming Yoh. 

For that, she must make Yoh…

Forget her. 

Drawing a deep breath, she stopped walking. Composing her features into a stoic expression, she turned around. 

"What do you want?" she said brusquely. 

Yoh skidded to a stop in front of her, his face reflecting surprise and slight sorrow at the tone of her voice. "I…I…it was dark, and I…thought that…"

She interrupted him. "Say you what you want to say, and don't waste my time, standing there and stuttering incomprehensively."

A look of hurt clouded over Yoh's features, but he didn't retort. He never did. "What are you doing out here, alone, Anna?"

"Leaving."

-

The raindrops began falling harder, from light drizzling to heavier droplets of water. 

He heard what she said, but he thought he was mistaken. 

_Leaving…?_

"What do you mean, leaving?"

"I mean that I am going away. Leaving, don't you understand?" Her voice carried a sharp, sarcastic edge. 

"Anna, I don't understand. What is going on?" _Why would she be leaving? Why? Was it something I said? Did? ___

"I just want to leave. I'm tired."

"Tired?" he persisted. _I don't understand. Make me understand.  ___

"I never have to give you a reason for what I am doing. I don't see why this is an exception. I'm leaving. Leaving you. That's simply it." She said, her voice icy-cold. 

_No!_ He grabbed her arm. "I won't let you. At least give me a reason. Why are you doing this?" His voice was pleading.

_Why are you doing this…to me?___

-

Dark clouds gathered ominously, and the rain showed no sign of letting up. If anything, it began raining harder. 

She hated this. And at that moment, she hated herself. For hurting him so much. She closed her eyes. She didn't want to look at the beseeching expression on his face, the confused look, and the pain in his eyes. 

_One day, you'll know. For now, please, just accept. Let me go…I have to go. For your sake. _

She removed his hand from her arm with a forceful gesture. "Consider the engagement broken." She hated the way she sounded, impassionate and cruel. As if their engagement was worthless. Nothing. 

-

_She's breaking our engagement…? ___

He, who always believed that everything would turn out all right, no matter what, now could see neither light nor understanding to what was taking place. His thoughts and feelings were as dark as the skies above him. 

"What did I do…to make you want to leave?" he whispered, his head lowered, pain constricting his heart. "Do…you hate me?"

-

Thunder crashed, and lightning streaked across the sky, and the rain fell relentlessly.

_"Do you hate me…?" _His words burned. 

She closed her eyes, as if the act would will away all the hurt she was feeling, and all the pain she was causing him. 

_I don't hate you…in fact, it was…I…_

_No, I don't want to hear this anymore. None of it. I'm sorry, Yoh. I can't tell you why. I'm sorry, sorry, sorry…_

She brushed aside his importunate question, ignored it.

"So...this is goodbye." Anna's voice was devoid of any emotion, and her face expressionless. In contrast to her fiancé's face, where desperation, anguish and confusion mirrored. 

"Anna...no. You can't just...leave."

A short bark of laughter. "Since when do you tell me what I can do or not do?" She turned away from him, to hide the slight trembling of her lower lip. Gathering her strength, she took a step forward, and began walking away from him.

There must be something he could do. To keep her. Not to let her go, out there. Not to let her leave. He couldn't.

"Anna! I love you!"

She stopped. The rain kept pouring.

Everything seemed to stop moving. The time, the world. Everything to a standstill, as those words escaped Yoh's mouth.

_I...love...you._

Anna pressed a fist to her mouth, her heart almost shattering into pieces. She knew she couldn't look back, couldn't look at him. Or she would break down completely. Lose control, lose herself.

She steeled herself for the cruel words. "I'm sorry I don't feel the same."

Pause.

_I don't want it to be this way._

"I never felt the same."

Taking another step, Anna broke into a run, running away from Yoh. Leaving him. Disappearing into the rainy night. 

As for him, he was too devastated to move, hearing her words, watching her run. Standing despondently in the rain. 

_If I could change the world…I'll change it now. This second, this moment. So that she didn't leave me. Left me standing here…alone. _

The water on his face...he was no longer sure it was rain or his tears.

-

"I'm here." 

"Good." Hao chuckled. "I see you're smart enough to listen to me, Anna."

Her eyes blazed. "First, don't you ever address me by my name. Second, don't judge me. You're not worthy enough for either one." She spat, turning away from him. 

Hao spread out his arms in a nonchalant gesture. "Whatever you say."

Silence lapsed between the two, him casually standing, without a care, and she seething with anger. 

"What do you want from me?" Anna broke the silence. "You have me here now, you can tell me what you want."

Hao shook his head. "Ah, patience is a virtue. You'll find out soon enough."

"You promised not to hurt him." The words were spoken in a monotone. She prided the way she managed to keep her calm. She must never let him see the deep fear that rested within her. She hated the fact that Hao was right, but he was.

_"He is your weakness…"_

"If that's what you're worried about, banish that worry." Hao said flippantly. "He's nothing, anyway."

Anna's grip on her prayer beads tightened. _He's worth at least a million of you. ___

-

_So now I have you._ Hao glanced amusedly at the _itako_ beside him as they walked silently back to his camp. She hid her anger well, but not well enough. 

She couldn't hide her real feelings from him. He was Asakura Hao, he who knew all. 

_Such a fascinating individual. Strong. Determined. ___

_Yoh had her once…now it's my turn. ___

Hao chuckled to himself. _Share and share alike, eh, Otouto? We _are_ twins after all…_

_For now, she's mine. ___

_And forever, she will be. _

_I've taken her, Yoh._

_Now…everything…shall…begin. _

-

It was still raining. 

Yoh still hadn't moved. 

He didn't know how long it had been. Time hurried past him, with him not noticing anything. He didn't notice his surroundings, nor he cared about them.

Anna had long disappeared. He hadn't gone after her. He didn't know why, but he couldn't find the strength in him…his strength, part of it, was gone. Along with her. 

Whatever Anna did, there was always a reason. A good, solid, valid reason. But this time…

_Maybe…what she said…was true. Didn't love me…no point…continuing. Loveless marriage…in the end, both of us will suffer. _

Why did his heart remain unconvinced? Why did he feel…that it wasn't true? 

_Respect her, let her go…_

But he couldn't. 

_Anna…why? Why?___

-

Oyamada Manta was walking home when it started to drizzle.

_Darn! Well, I'd better hurry…_

The midget made it to his front door as it began pour heavily. Heaving a sigh of relief, he shut the front door and hurried to his room, his mind filled with mathematical equations.

-

Tao Ren cursed the falling rain as he hurried to the Asakura house. Of all days to choose, his sister had to choose today to make Yoh and Anna some cakes, and as usual, entrusted him to take the cakes to them. 

And now it was raining, and he didn't have an umbrella. He had no choice but to start running. Skidding to a neat stop in front of the gates, he ran in. 

And stopped. 

The house was dark, very dark. 

_They couldn't be asleep. It's too early. Well, Yoh might be sleeping, but I doubt that Anna will be. Or that she'll let him…_Tao Ren grinned. He always prided himself as an extremely lucky person compared to Yoh.

No woman to order him around. Heaven forbid the day he would allow himself to be controlled by a woman. 

And he couldn't understand, really. How could Yoh care so much for a tigress like Anna. Loved her, even. Ren shrugged. None of his business, anyhow. 

He raised his hand to knock. 

_Knock! Knock!___

The knock sounded hollowly through. He waited. 

And waited. 

_Knock! Knock! Knock!___

No answer. Ren frowned, feeling uneasy. He hated that feeling, of unease. Cautiously, he approached the window, and peeked in. He couldn't see anything, the house was bathed in darkness. 

_Maybe they went out._

But…Ren directed his gaze to the dark skies. Something was not quite right. He had known when he left the Tao mansion, the unnatural stillness of the day. He had chosen to dismiss it, then. 

But now, he could not longer ignore it…he could feel it, it was stronger…a strange, almost threatening presence. It told him that somewhere, out there, something was happening. 

Ren's eyes narrowed. 

Something menacing. 

-

Somewhere, an Ainu young man was carefully watering his crops when the dark clouds began to gather. 

_Eh…? I would have thought there would be no rain today…_

HoroHoro raised his eyes to the sky, watching the clouds carefully as they rapidly assembled, blocking out the sunrays and bits of blue sky. 

_Hmmm…_

His shaman senses began to perk up, as he continued to watch the sky. Picking up his gardening utensils, he started towards the house where Pilica was waving to him in addition to pointing at the dark horizons above. 

He tried to fight off the feelings of worry, telling himself that weather changes were, in fact, and of course, nothing strange. 

But deep down inside, he knew something was wrong. Much as he wanted, he couldn't shake the feeling. 

As he hurried into the house and dried his hair with a towel that Pilica handed him, he made a mental note to check with Yoh as soon as he could. 

Surely Yoh would have sensed something, too. 

-

Bokutou no Ryu was carefully combing his hair, and singing to himself, when the rain began to pour, instantly ruining his hairstyle. 

"Damn!" he grumbled, running for cover to a nearby bus stop. 

He was halfway there when a strange sense overtook him, stopping him in his tracks. 

Posed in a vigilant stance, his eyes darted around him. The feelings of apprehension grew stronger. 

_It's not right._

Ignoring the rain, he raced towards his motorcycle and hopped onto it, gunning the engine, heading towards to Asakura residence. 

-

Faust VIII was putting away his medical journal when shadows streaked past his window. He paused, the journal hanging in mid-air, as his eyes narrowed, his senses all on alert. 

Replacing the journal, he walked over to the window. No shadows were seen, except those of the trees, but still…

With a jolt, he realised that rain was pouring. Heavily. He hadn't noticed it, and had assumed a fine weather all day, for it was so sunny and still in the morning. 

Being a doctor, he was intelligent. Add on his shaman intuitions, it made Faust VIII a very observant individual. 

And all his instincts told him that something was wrong.

Very wrong. 

-

Lyserg Diethl was asleep when something jolted him awake. It might have been a dream, or a sound, what was it, he didn't exactly know. But all of a sudden, he was awake, wide awake. 

He opened his window for some fresh air, and saw cloudy skies, poised for a heavy downpour. A sense of gloom hung about in the evening air. 

Lyserg frowned. 

A glint of light caught his attention, and he turned to see Morphine flying towards him, and gracefully landing on his lap. Her tiny face looked distressed. 

"You felt it, didn't you, Morphine?" Lyserg asked softly.

"I did, too…"

-

Chocolove was munching on a sandwich and relaxing between his act when his harried looking manager appeared and informed him of the cancellation of his show that night. 

"Huh? Why the sudden cancellation?" asked the baffled comedian.

"It's raining too hard. And since your show is staged outdoors today, we have no choice but to postpone," explained the man.

"Oh."

_Rain?_ _Hmm…_

Chocolove swallowed the last of his sandwich, and gulped down a glass of milk. Then he heard Miko growling softly. 

"Miko?"

"Grrrrr…"

He frowned. Suddenly, he felt a chill. It just swept over him. And he felt the signal, loud and clear.

_Danger._

-

Asakura Yohmei and Asakura Kino were sipping hot _o-cha_ when the rain began to pour. The old couple looked out, their faces tensed. 

Then Yohmei set down his cup, his face sorrowful. Kino shook her head.

"It has begun."  
  


  
-To be continued-

*

da*mouse ®  
posted 7th August 2003  
edited later: changed contradicting time-frames. 

Yeah well, told you guys it was sappy. I warned you! :P

Sorry about the last part introducing all the other SK characters. Ah…that was so rushed, gomen ne. 

By the way, looking at how long it took for me to get this chapter out, don't expect Chapter 4 too soon. *cringe*

So anyway, will be glad to hear what is made out of this chapter, so please please pretty please with sugar on top leave me a review/comment/flame/whatever. As always, I am open to suggestions. 

P.S. the Yoh/Anna parting-in-the-rain idea taken from Meteor Garden. Yeah, I am unoriginal. But I referenced, so you can't sue, nay nay nay. 


	5. Chapter 4: The Prelude

**Disclaimer**: Shaman King does not belong to me, and will never belong to me. As much as I would like to own them, it's a sad case I don't. So don't sue me. You'll get nothing in return anyway, so why bother? I only own Yakiten village and part of that lame plot with the village in it.   
   
  


If I Could Change The World  
written by: da*mouse

Chapter 4: The Prelude__

The rain was pouring. Huge drops dropped from the sky, pounding relentlessly on the dirt. 

Ren sat at the doorstep to Yoh's house, not able to bring himself to leave as of yet. His eyes sweeping keenly over the dark, brooding skies, the downpour, he fought the suppressed the empowering worry that was threatening to overwhelm him. At this point of time, he knew that the only thing that could help to diminish his fears would be a talk between him and his easy-going friend. Grudgingly, he was forced to admit that his greatest rival was a sharp, perceptive shaman. Surely Yoh would be able to make something out of this strange situation.  

VROOOM…SCREEEE!! The loud sound of a revving motorcycle engine and the abrupt tread of brakes jolted Ren out of his thoughts. He looked up to see a familiar motorcycle stopping some distance from him, under the protection of the roof. 

Ryu removed his helmet, and shaking out his hair, which was wet, hanging loose and making Ryu looked like something out of a bad, B-grade horror movie. Ren held back a snort of sarcastic laughter as the older man immediately grabbed a comb. 

Ryu looked around with a distracted air as he ran the comb through his hair, mumbling something about the damn, sudden, unexpected, most important, strange rainstorm. Ren coughed loudly to avert his attention. The other man gave a start, and then saw Ren sitting at the steps.

"Yo, Ren." Ryu greeted. "Sorry I didn't see you earlier. You know that you're kind of short and all…" Ryu grinned at the scowl that came over Ren's face. 

"Put a sock in it." Ren muttered. He gestured towards the dark house. "Yoh's not at home." He said, somewhat unnecessarily. "Why are you here?" He added, suspecting the answer might be the same to his own. Looking for answers. 

Ryu tilted his head towards the heavy rainfall. "You think?" He said, confirming Ren's thoughts. "Something is wrong."

"I know." Ren said shortly. A silence lapsed between the two, they had nothing much to say to each other. Above them, the clouds continued to gather rapidly, forming a huge black abyss that rivaled night skies, although it was only late evening. Rain continued to fall, showing no sign of stopping at anytime. 

A worried look passed between the two shamans.

A few more minutes passed, and then a figure appeared at the gate, and began walking towards them. "Yoh-danna?" Ryu called. The figure gave no reply, but continued advancing. 

Ren immediately put a hand to his kwan-dao lying beside him, and Ryu hopped off his motorcycle, and stood up straight, holding his wooden sword. The man – presumably – then stopped a few meters from Ryu and Ren. Putting down the umbrella and shaking the excessive water, the stranger caught sight of Ren and Ryu, and bowed courteously. 

"Ren-kun, Ryu-kun." He said politely, and took off his hat to reveal a head of tousled blonde hair. Faust VIII stood before them, clad in his usual thick white coat and orange scarf. The two shamans relaxed their stance, and Ryu put down his sword. 

"Faust-san." Ren acknowledged curtly, nodding at the German doctor, feeling just a bit uncomfortable. He always felt a tad uneasy around the doctor, being that Faust was definitely…eccentric, to put it in civil terms. Among their little group, Yoh was the only one that could converse well with Faust. But then, Yoh did that to everyone around him. 

"I take it that Yoh-kun is not at home?" The necromancer asked, looking at the deserted house. 

"The reason you're here as well…?" Ryu raised his eyes again to the unnaturally ominous clouds that provided the, to put it mildly,_ intense_, shower. 

Faust nodded. "Can't you sense it?" He asked, his voice low. "All around you?" 

Ren's golden eyes narrowed. "Evil." He said flatly. 

"Yes." Faust said simply. 

Nothing came from Ryu, but his stiffened posture said as much. 

Ren remained on the doorstep, Ryu beside his motorcycle not far from Ren. Faust chose to lean against the tree beside the house, partly hidden in the shadows. The three waited as time crept passed. Stifling a sigh, Ryu checked his watch. "Where _is _Yoh-danna?" 

"Maybe we should look for him…and Anna-san?" Faust spoke up. Worry was reflected in his eyes. "Perhaps something might have happened…?"

"No." Ren spoke up. "Wherever Yoh is, he would be fine. We should just wait for him here…" His voice broke off as someone appeared at the gate, without an umbrella and soaking wet. 

"Yoh!" Ren yelled, standing up. True enough, it was Yoh, making his way towards them. Yoh, dripping wet, although an umbrella hung from his left hand. Ren stared, and then gave a snort. "I guess it's true about what they said about birdbrains not being able to come out of the rain," he said, smirking. 

To his surprise, as well as Faust's and Ryu's, Yoh gave no reply, but just walked to the front door in an almost mechanical stance. Ryu's mouth dropped opened, and Faust's eyes widened. 

"Yoh-danna?" He said cautiously. 

Yoh turned to the trio then, an eerie sense of calm on his face. "Let me be, for the moment." He said quietly, and then pushed open the door with one hand. 

Ren frowned. The brown-haired shaman was behaving weirdly, but for Ren, all he wanted to do was to tell Yoh about the situation upon them, what they had all sensed. "Listen," He said, his tone serious. "There's something wrong with this rain…and I know…" 

"I said. Let. Me. Be." Yoh interrupted, his voice full of uncharacteristic authority, each syllable dead-weighted.  

"Yoh-kun…" Faust took a step forward, only to have the door shut in his face. 

The three shamans stared at the closed door, each intuitively knowing that things had just gotten a lot worse. 

-

Anna never had a lot to say, the house was never noisy with her around. But without her, the silence was almost deafening. Her absence left a shrouded atmosphere that was so foreign. Or maybe it was just him, he didn't know. All he knew that he was confused, and devastated.

There was no reason for her to leave, not in the midst of…Yoh found himself at loss for thoughts. He didn't know what exactly they were in, but certainly she would not have chosen to leave – now – on the reasons that she stated. 

That she didn't love him. 

The mere thought alone sent another stab of pain through him. The thought that she spent all those years with him plainly out of duty…with no feelings, not even a drop of emotion…pained him. 

Maybe she never loved him, but that was not the basis for her leaving. She had other reasons, he was sure, and it hurt that she didn't trust him enough to tell him. Rather, she chose to lie…or did she? What might the other grounds be? Why would Anna leave him? Why? 

Above everything else, his twin's presence hung ominously in the air. Did _he_ have something to do with this scenario? What kind of evil plans were Hao hatching? What did Hao want? 

Yoh dropped his head into his hands. There were so many questions in his mind, so much bewilderment, but he was sure of one thing, and one thing alone.

He was already missing Anna.  

-

A bowl of food dropped in front of Anna, half of its contents spattering onto the ground. 

"Eat." Kanna said contemptuously, chomping on her cigar, staring at Anna, her eyes narrowed slits.

Anna met her gaze for precisely one second, and then turned away, keeping her eyes straight ahead. "You're welcome to take it for yourself." She said coolly. 

"Hao-sama orders you to eat." Kanna tapped her foot, her boot only a few inches away from the bowl. 

Anna stared at the offering, her lip curled into an expression of disgust. She stood up, and the blue-haired girl found herself instinctively taking a step back. "Firstly, I don't take orders from that moron you call a master. Secondly, I would rather starve to death before I eat any of his food." Anna's tone was chilly. With that, she spun on her heel and turned to leave. 

A gigantic figure of ash suddenly rose in front of her, blocking her way. "Stop right there." Kanna held her cigar between her fingers. "Firstly," she mimicked. "You should be grateful that Hao-sama is giving you food. Secondly, anyone who insults Hao-sama would have to die!" Her face wreathed in an expression of fury, she waved her hand. "Ashcroft!"

Ashcroft obeyed immediately, taking a huge step towards Anna. The itako barely bat an eyelash as she took off her beads, and with one whirling motion, entangled the ash figure in it. Before Kanna could gave another order, Anna twisted her beads, and Ashcroft toppled onto the ground with a loud roar, crumbling. 

Kanna's eyes widened with shock and disbelief. The other girl turned and gave her death glare. "Pathetic." 

"How dare you!" Kanna took a long drag out of her cigar. Then she shouted. "Ashcroft! Reborn!" 

The giant ash-made puppet began forming itself, but halfway through, a huge ball of fire blasted, destroying it in matter of seconds. Kanna herself was thrown back. Coughing, she rose to steady herself, and found herself looking into the eyes of Asakura Hao. 

"Hao-sama!" She immediately dropped into a reverential bow. 

"Now, Kanna. There's no way to treat a respected guest." His words were light, but his tone was steely. 

"She was impertinent towards Hao-sama's name.  I, as Hao-sama's servant, served to teach her a lesson about paying due respects to Hao-sama." Kanna answered defiantly. 

"I am capable of punishing those people myself." Hao said, his voice hard with authority. "And I do not appreciate your intervention in this matter. Be gone, Kanna." 

Kanna's lip curled distastefully as she kept her head bowed. "Yes, Hao-sama." Taking a step back, she disappeared, leaving Hao and Anna in the clearing. A long silence descended upon them.

"Ah, Anna." Hao voiced out first. He leaned against a tree, smiling. "You have admirable strength." He said, referring to Ashcroft's easy defeat. "Kanna is a formidable opponent." Frankly, even he was shocked when he saw how easily Anna managed to subdue Ashcroft. Of course, if the battle had gone on, Anna might not be a sure victor, as Hao alone knew the extent of Kanna's powers. Saying that, it was impressive to see his brother's fiancée initial taking down of the ash figure in matter of seconds. Anna, he knew, had grown so much stronger since they last met.

And all the better for his plan. 

Anna said nothing. 

"I trust the food was not to your liking?" He tilted his chin towards the untouched bowl. 

Anna laughed coldly. "Do you honestly think I would take anything from you?" 

Hao tapped a finger to his chin and yawned. "No, I should think not, actually."

"Then we understand each other." She snapped. 

"And so what would you eat, Anna?" 

"None of your goddamn business. And you have NO permission to address me by my name." Her voice was tinted with fury.

Hao studied her silhouette interestedly, detecting a slight tremble of shoulders. Walking a few steps, he raised his hand to her golden hair, twirling a lock of hair between his fingers. "Must you be so stubborn? I truly mean you no harm…"

Anna whirled around with the speed of lighting when she felt his touch, and delivered a powerful slap right across his face. The force of her slap caused Hao to move back a few steps, one hand covering the already swelling cheek. 

"Do not TOUCH me." She seethed, trembling with suppressed anger, fighting to keep her dignity in front of this hated lunatic. "Touch me again, and I SWEAR you will live to regret it, Asakura Hao." 

His eyes flashed with anger as he massaged his swollen cheek. A scornful smile twisted his lips. "I supposed I am not as _gentle_ as my dear twin brother?" His sarcastic emphasis on the word was not missed. 

Her rage was so immense that it was taking every ounce of control she possessed to keep the fire from gushing out within her. "Don't EVER compare yourself with Yoh." She said through gritted teeth. 

"Why? Because he is not worthy?" Hao said mockingly, raising an eyebrow at Anna.

"No. Because YOU are not." She retorted, and spun on her heel, disappearing into the trees. 

As Hao watched her walked, afigures materialized beside him. Mari. "Hao-sama?" She asked, her voice serious as her eyes followed the itako. 

"Let her be." Hao responded quietly, an odd tone in his voice. Without another word, he, too, disappeared, leaving Mari standing by herself in the clearing. 

Mari clenched her doll in her hand. "Mari…hates…the itako…" She whispered fiercely, a dark shadow tinting her eyes. 

-

_Anna!_

Yoh jolted from his sleep, sitting up on his futon, scanning the darkness around him with an almost despairing air. Something from his dreams woke him up…the recurring nightmare…Anna walking into the fire. 

A fleeting feeling swept over him, chilling him to the core. Suddenly, Yoh was never more certain. He knew what was happening…his dream told him that much. And he knew where Anna was. He still didn't know why she left, but at least he now knew where she went. 

His twin was back, as he had already known, and had already begun his plans. Yoh could feel it, Hao's aura, radiating. His plans…would mean death for numerous people. 

And his fiancée was with his twin brother.

He couldn't understand why, but he knew what he had to do now. Dwelling on the past wasn't going to help with anything. He had to stop brooding, and start taking notice of everything else around him. That, he was sure, was what he had to do. He had to find his own answers.  

And he had to stop Hao. 

The rain continued pounding mercilessly.

-

Ren took a few sips from his glass of milk, and then set the glass down, twirling with it idly. He, Ryu and Faust sat quietly at the kitchen table, where they let themselves in – and remained - after Yoh disappeared into his room last evening. The three of them had chosen to make themselves comfortable for the night at Yoh's house, seeing that it was the rain was too heavy to allow them to travel back to their own homes. 

And the fact that Faust and Ryu were worried about Yoh. Ren, too, although he wouldn't admit it.  

Neither of them knew what was happening, but all of them knew that Yoh's present mood had something to do with a certain scary blonde itako, seeing that she was no where in sight. 

"Anna-san might be in danger." Faust said, breaking the silence.

"That would explain the funk that Yoh-danna's in." Ryu said, his forehead creased into a frown. 

Ren chose not to partake in the two's hypothetical conversation and flipped on the television instead. 

_"…Good morning, and we bring you Tokyo Update for six o'clock this morning. All around Japan, the rain had been falling non-stop since yesterday evening. This was a strange phenomenon seeing that the weather forecast had called for hot and sunny days for the next two weeks. Weather experts everywhere were baffled by the turn of events with regards to the weather and were seeking explanations, as the rain does not connect with temperatures taken by various experts. Flooding had begun to affect rural areas of Japan."_

_"…In related news, a small village towards the south of Tokyo was apparently flooded over by the storm. Yakiten Village had simply disappeared from sight and in its place was a huge lake. It was yet another baffling event that no one had answers to as of the moment. As we speak, experts were diving into the lake in hopes of finding survivors or any other clues that can explain this mystery. So far, nothing had been found. It was as if that Yakiten Village never existed. The only explanation now was that Yakiten River had overflowed to the point where the whole village was submerged in water. What that remain unexplainable was lack of bodies, survivors or even lumber. More updates would follow as the search continues."_

Ren frowned darkly at the television screen. Yakiten Village, eh? It sounded quite familiar but yet he could not quite place it. 

"Yakiten Village was the village where a lot of shamans were residing." Faust's voice broke into Ren's reverie, as if reading his thoughts. The doctor had a puzzled look on his face. "I don't understand it." He added. "The village was situated on one of the higher points in Japan. How could it be submerged in water? It makes no sense."

Ren turned sharply to the necromancer. "You were saying…?"

"Remember? We met a lot of shamans from that particular village during the fight." Faust reminded the Chinese boy. "And a lot of them were families, too." 

Ryu snapped his fingers. "I remember!" 

"Something's not quite right." Ren mused. 

"Now you tell me." Ryu snorted. "I thought we agreed on that last night." 

"No. Faust's right. It doesn't make any…"

"YOO-HOO! Hey-ho!" A blur in blue whizzed in. HoroHoro jumped off with a proud smile as his snowboard halted to a stop. "I bring you HoroHoro!" He said grandly, unaware that a certain Chinese shaman was pressed underneath his snowboard.

"GRRR…" Ren growled, and thrust his kwan-dao upwards, causing the Ainu boy to fall over with a yell. 

"Must you make such a spectacle of yourself?" Ren scowled, pointing his weapon at his comrade. 

"At least there's something out of me to make of!" HoroHoro retorted, slamming his snowboard on Ren once again. 

Ryu just sat at one side, laughing hard at the image of a squashed Ren. 

Faust wedged himself between the two battle-prepared shamans. "HoroHoro-kun, Ren-kun, now is not the time…"

"Hey, where's Anna?" HoroHoro interrupted, looking around him with a fearful air. "Is she going to…?"

"Anna-okami's gone. We haven't seen her since Yoh-danna came back yesterday looking like his cat had died." Ryu said shortly. 

"What?" That was HoroHoro's only response. 

Ren laughed. "Very intelligent…not."

Before HoroHoro could proceed to pummel Ren, Faust once again stepped in, being that he was the only one with the maturity to stop them from fighting. In a few words, he summarized what had been happening to the blue-haired Ainu. 

As Faust finished, HoroHoro rubbed the back of his neck, the confused expression still on his face. "So Anna…just disappeared?" 

"Hey guys." A familiar voice broke into the chaos. All heads turned to Yoh standing at the doorway to the kitchen. He grinned, and waved. "Wow, there's a lot of you in here."

Everyone stared at him with dropped jaws. 

"Don't worry, I'm calm. I mean, I'm okay now." Yoh walked into the kitchen and poured himself some tea. "I just needed some time to myself to figure some things out. And I did, so I'm okay."

"About?" Ren demanded. 

"What is going on." Yoh took a sip of his tea. "It's Hao. Everything. The storm, the foreboding. Those were signs."

A dead silence transcend over the little group. Then Ryu slapped his thigh. "I knew it!"  He exclaimed. 

"…no, you didn't…" HoroHoro muttered under his breath. 

"So he wasn't dead." Ren summarized, his voice low. "I should've known that pests would die hard." 

"And Anna's with him."

Another pause. Yoh had just confirmed what was on their minds when he mentioned Hao. Then Faust spoke up. "So Anna-san is gone."

"By her own will." Yoh said softly. "You have to understand that."

His words were greeted with surprised looks. But no one chose to comment.

"Yakiten just vanished." Ren suddenly remembered the mysterious happening, and relayed it to Yoh.  

Yoh's face bellied no expression.  "So Yakiten was his first target…"

"Yoh-danna! We MUST rescue Anna-okami!" Ryu broke in.

"Yes, we must." Yoh affirmed, smiling at Ryu. "But before that, I still needed to know…more. So I must go back home. To Ojii-san. He would help me understand."  

"Whoa, time out!" HoroHoro exclaimed. "What the heck is going on here? I started out to talk to Yoh about this weird feeling I have about…"

"Moron. We're way beyond your weird feelings, or haven't you been listening?" Ren mocked. "To put it plainly, the bastard's back." His golden eyes glinted. 

Yoh was already beginning to leave. "I have to go now. Time is running short, and time is precious, and is everything from this moment on." He turned to his friends. "Are you with me?" He asked quietly.

HoroHoro grinned. "Since when we're not?" He said, answering for the rest of them.

"And I never passed up any opportunity to kick some Asakura butt." Ren said, looking meaningfully at Yoh. Yoh burst out laughing at that one, the shadow of the usual easy-going, no-worry Yoh coming back. 

"Then let's go." Yoh grinned, and the five shamans stepped out to the rain. 

-

"Come on, Miko." Chocolove urged his leopard as they trudged through the rain, hurrying towards Yoh's residence. The rain was pelting, showing no signs of slowing down. The comedian huffed impatiently and continued running.

Reaching the gate, both man and beast skidded to a stop to avoid a full-on collision with a huge group coming out from Yoh's house. 

"Chocolove!" Yoh exclaimed, surprise on his face. 

"Yo, Yoh." Chocolove grinned, and smiled at everyone else. His smile faltered when it settled on Ren. "Don't worry, no jokes." He held up his hands. "Actually, glad I caught you all here. Don't you think there's something weird about this rain?"

"Yes." Everyone chorused flatly, and the comedian grinned sheepishly. 

"Chocolove, I can't explain now, but yes, something's wrong." Yoh said, an unnaturally serious expression on his face. "It would help if you are to come with me…can you? I'm now going to my grandparents'. I need their help."

Thunder clapped suddenly, shocking the small group. It seemed to reverberate through Yoh's head as he winced, holding a hand to his forehead. Then his eyes widened, as the resounding thunder turned into laughter.

"Hao!" He said outloud.

"Hao!?!" Chocolove echoed. "How's the how with Hao? Hahaha!"

CRASH! Ren's kwan-dao smacked him squarely on the head. "That…is the WORST joke EVER under circumstances!" Ren hissed. 

Yoh still held his head, eyes shut tightly. _Smart…very smart. But it took you long enough. I'm looking forward to the final battle. But you have to get stronger, my dear brother. Oh, much much stronger…and don't worry about…_

_Anna. She's quite safe and happy with me…_

_Anna!_ Yoh's eyes flew opened as his darkest suspicions were confirmed. Flashes of his nightmare flew through his mind, and he felt dizzy with the kaleidoscopic images…

"Yoh-kun! Are you all right?" Faust rushed to support Yoh as he stumbled. 

"…Yes." Yoh gasped. "Let's go. No…time. No time!"

"Wait a minute! Hey, I…" The rest of Chocolove's sentence was lost as Ren lost his temper and gagged him, dragging him along as the group continued their journey through the rain, thankful that at least, the trop would not be long. 

-

Lyserg sat rigidly on the train as it sped towards Tokyo, the newspaper clipping clenched in his hand. The clipping announcing the baffling disappearance of Yakiten Village. 

All his shamanic instincts told him that this was the work of another shaman, and he could not shake off his hatred and suspicion for Asakura Hao. There was nothing to confirm his thoughts, but his hatred. That was why he was taking the fastest way possible that he could get to Yoh.

He needed answers and explanations about the current turmoil of Japan. And he had a hunch that he would find it with Asakura Yoh.

-

Jeanne kneeled before the statue of Virgin Mary, hands folded, praying earnestly. The doors to the church then flew opened, and a blonde-haired man strode in. He stopped a few steps from her, and kneeled down.

"Jeanne-sama." He said reverently. "I received a message." He held out a piece of paper to her. 

Jeanne took the paper, and scanned its contents. Her ruby eyes widened, and then flashed. "Marco." She said, her voice firm, portraying authority of someone far older than her fourteen years. "Gather whoever you can out of our team."

"Jeanne-sama, you don't mean…" Marco wore an expression of shock.

"Yes." Jeanne affirmed. Her pale hand crumpled the notepaper. 

"The Destroyer is back."

-

The Asakura elders were gathered in the sitting room, waiting. 

"You're sure that he would be here?" Mikihasa asked. 

"I know my grandson. And you should know your son, too. He would come, no matter what. Like the rest of us, he had already sensed _him_. But oh, for Yoh, the feeling pulsates much, much stronger." Yohmei said, by the way of a reply. He closed his eyes and leaned back. "As usual, fate rested with Yoh."

"It's not fair." Keiko spoke up, sorrow evident on her face.

"It's not." Kino agreed. 

"But that is the way it has to be. Always will be."

-

Hao smiled with satisfaction as water poured over rooftops. Whether did he or did he not acquire the Great Spirit all those years ago, he couldn't really care, as of now. But he did find out that he could manipulate another element.

Water. 

He could not control it as well as fire, but managed to make it bend to his will. And it fitted into the best of his plans. 

Beside him, all his minions wore similar expressions of pleasure. All, except one.

Anna fought to keep her disgust and rage from bubbling over as she stared at the destruction that Asakura Hao had created. She raised her eyes to the longhaired shaman, her expression grim. 

_Inhumane…_

Had she really agreed…to go to him? And to see all of this before her…? How could someone look so much like her Yoh, and be so evil?

Never was there a moment she didn't think of Yoh. 

"Anna!" Hao called, and then walked to her. She clenched her fists, and forced herself to look at him. He smiled lazily, the smile so like Yoh's but at the same time, so different. "I've decided to tell you what I want…with you."

"I'm dying to know." She shot back sarcastically. 

Hao just smiled sweetly at her, and leaned towards her. She took two giant steps back, glaring at him. 

"I want a spirit. And I need you to summon it for me."

Anna narrowed her eyes, and Hao continued.

"I want…Matamune."

  
-To be continued-

*

**IMPT NOTE: Matamune** would not make sense to anime-watchers. I shall give a brief explanation. Matamune is the spirit of Hao from 1000 years ago, a fiercely loyal and VERY powerful cat-spirit. However as Hao turned evil with all his glorifying madness, a disappointed Matamune turned his back on his master and helped to defeat him. He since then lived as a spirit, and Yoh encountered him when he was 10 and on the way to meet his fiancée. Basically that's all that's need to know now. Further explanations would be made in the next chapter. 

da*mouse ®  
posted 2nd February 2004

**RANT!!**

What can I say? There's one word to describe me writing this chapter and it would be **STRESSFUL**. I worry about events proceeding too fast, and then I worry about it being too slow. I worry about bringing Yoh out of his depression much too early, but then I worry about making him too much like a sappy wimp. Just a note though, I do think it is more plausible for Yoh to snap out it, fast. Because if not, it would kinda be unlike Yoh, plus the fact I am going to have to spent the whole chapter angsting over angsty Yoh which was just so overdone. But I had to get the plot on the road if not I'll be stuck at the crossroads forever.

Forgive me if this chapter stinks to no end. But I just had to update [get beyond the whole Yoh/Anna depression thigamajig] so that I can continue, if that makes sense to anyone. Would be revising, probably. Expecting flames, so go ahead. I myself am not too happy with the way the whole thing came out. 

And after half a year, too. Boy, I suck. 

So please please pretty please REVIEW! COMMENT! FLAME! WHATEVER! I think I really need it at this point. 

Sankyuu! :D    
 


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